Coalition Responds to the Confirmation of Senator Jeff Sessions for U.S Attorney General

Media:

press releases

Main Phone: 212-627-2227 x235,
E-mail: tyaku@nyic.org

New York
(Thursday, February 9, 2017)

Coalition Responds to the Confirmation of Senator Jeff Sessions for U.S Attorney General

On Wednesday night, Senator Jeff Sessions was confirmed as the U.S Attorney General, adding him to President Trump’s cabinet and making him the top law enforcement officer and lawyer of the government. The 52-46 vote was mostly along party lines, with one Democrat joining Republicans in the affirmative vote to confirm the Senator. Senator Sessions confirmation came after Democrats held the Senate Floor for 30 hours to oppose the nomination.

The following is a statement by Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition:

"We are extremely disappointed that Jeff Sessions, who has a long, frightening track record of exhibiting bias on immigration, civil rights, and racial issues, has just been confirmed as the Nation's top guardian of our legal values.

"Just last week, Sessions' work in writing the “travel ban” executive order went with little review from even the Department he will now lead. This executive order - a display of sheer incompetence and sloppiness - threw the country's airports into chaos and caused tremendous suffering for those trying to be reunited with their families, go back to their jobs or schools, or be resettled as fully-vetted refugees in the United States.

“Now that he has been confirmed as Attorney General, the onus is on Jeff Sessions to prove to us that he can be the impartial legal mind required to lead the Department of Justice. The NYIC, along with our partners and allies, stand ready to fight back against any action he takes that is not in the interest of our immigrant communities, or to further hobble and destroy the legal system he is now sworn to uphold."

###

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees. The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.